The Traveller's Tales: Sesuma
by Mistyanna Silvermoon
Summary: They say she was born from the souls of the dead..." Sesuma. The Demon girl. Born from the dead into the world of the living. An abomination, they called her. All but one. One who saw nothing but love within her soul, but banished her back to death...
1. Introduction

They say she was born from the souls of the dead… 

"Who was?" Malon asked as she stroked a brush through the black stallion's mane. She turned to meet the gaze of The Traveler standing against the ranch fence. He wore a black hat on his head and a long black coat pulled up high, even with the sun's heat that day. She could barely see his face but his cloak was open enough to reveal his neck, which was adorned by a shimmering crystal pendant upon a golden chain. Such was unusual for a man for it was the women who fancied such jewelry, but she didn't question it.

"Sesuma. The demon girl." He replied briskly waving a hand in front of him with emphasis.

"Sesuma?" The young woman questioned in her sweet voice as she approached the Traveler. The black stallion behind her whinnied and ran off, apparently fearful of The Traveler and whatever mysteries he brought with him.

The Traveler nodded. "That's what she calls herself any way." He replied, then pausing he added, "no one knows what her real name is for sure though. That could simply be something she made up." He shrugged.

Malon regarded him thoughtfully for a moment as she brushed a strand of light hair from her face. "Go on." She encouraged, clearly interested.

The Traveler chuckled. "I was hoping you would say that, my dear." He paused a moment, sorting his thoughts. Then he begun his tale…


	2. Demon Girl

They say she was born from the souls of the dead in the graveyard just outside Kakariko village. It was indeed a stormy night and spirits were restless. A boy there, Hiro, says he saw it himself. Poes and other strange spirits rose from the graves, coming together in the center of the cemetery just as the rain began to fall. As a bolt of lightning flashed and thunder boomed above, a woman was born from the combined spirits.

Her skin was pale as snow and her hair and eyes as black as a moonless night. Her dark wings curled around her, black as night and glimmering as if they had stolen the stars right from the sky.

Her voice though, it's said she had the most beautiful voice. One who could compare with even the great Malon's, people said. Her voice was like a song, but she wasn't singing; I doubt a demon so full of sorrow such as Sesuma would even want to sing. But it was beautiful like a song, every syllable like a different note, and as sweet as honey.

Her eyes were like deep pools of darkness; you could loose your soul if you stared too long. But they were full of centuries of wisdom as well and she knew more about this world than anyone could ever hope to accomplish writing down in the history records. There was innocence in those eyes too. Only Hiro could see it though and only he could see the loneliness and kindness everyone who called her a demon overlooked.

As soon as she appeared she vanished again with the next flash of lightning and no matter how long Hiro waited there that night, she never returned. He returned home hours later drenched to the bone, but he was determined to see her again.

Every night around the same time, he returned to the graveyard but she never returned. Not for weeks. Some villagers started saying the boy was crazy. Others believed he'd been enchanted by a demon; that was how the original idea of her being some sort of demon came from.

She was no demon though to Hiro. To the young boy, she was more like a Goddess. Perhaps it was the way her wings stole the stars or how she had simply appeared and vanished before him or even his over imaginative mind, but Hiro had convinced himself she was something grand; above us Hyrulians.

It was a couple months later, during another storm like the one before, that he saw her again. He was waiting in his usual spot around the center of the cemetery, right near where she had first appeared, about ready to head home as the storm came rolling it.

Thunder boomed, lightning flash and rain fell hard. Just as the boy was getting to his feet, a Poe passed through him. It frightened him good since Poes had only ever attacked people before, but this one didn't even notice him there.

Any way, the poe, it, along with many others, floated over to the center of the cemetery, lanterns all alight, and right before the boy's eyes they merged again. Lightning flashed and there she was again. The beautiful demon girl; clothed all in black just like before, dark wings that stole the stars wrapped around her.

Her image shimmered there as if trying to take form, fading almost completely from view every so often and then she vanished again. This was when a thought struck the boy; she **_was_** trying to take form. The Poes were coming together to attempt to give the girl a physical form, but, obviously, it hadn't been working too well.

This gave the boy hope and a clever idea as well. He figured she only came out on stormy nights, so he returned home back to his normal life. It was difficult; he kept thinking about her every day, enchanted by this strange woman.

The next storm night, he was in his usual sport. He wore a black cloak on him so when it started raining, it kept him fairly dry this time for he didn't know how long it would be until she came this time. He didn't have to wait long.

He gave the Poes a wide berth this time, having expected them for once, as they joined together. As they began merging, he moved close to them, and soon the demon girl appeared again. Her eyes were closed as if in a deep sleep and this time she seemed even more solid than before; he felt like he could reach out and touch her.

And that's exactly what he did. He slowly reached out a hand to her and grasped her arm quickly. Her eyes fluttered open like someone waking from a deep sleep as she came fully into view, becoming completely solid.

"Who… who are you?" She asked in that beautiful voice of hers. It was the first time he had ever heard her speak and he was stunned by the lovely voice. Never before had he heard something so delicate, sweet and pure. It only wove the spell over him deeper.

"Who are you?" She repeated. The boy snapped back to reality, though still gawking at the girl, and finally found his voice.

"M-my… n-n-name is H-h-hiro." He stuttered as if only learning to speak. To him, his voice seemed distant and weak; that was sure how he felt right then though. He shifted nervously under her gaze.

She looked down to where he still clutched her arm. He followed her gaze and pulled his hand back quickly, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking at the ground, embarrassed.

That was when she laughed. It took him by surprise and he jerked his head up to look at her. Her laugh was so pure and wonderful, like nature itself. It was like the water trickling over rocks in a stream, the beautiful song of a bird, the whispering of the trees in the wind. There were no words he knew good enough to describe her laugh.

"W-what's so f-funny?" He stammered, still unable to speak properly in her presence. He found himself blushing greatly as he spoke.

"You." Was all she replied, smiling sweetly. This was how Hiro would always remember her. Her beautiful smile. It was enchanting as her laugh and he would never forget it, ever.

He returned every night afterwards and she would always be there, waiting. No longer did she need the Poes to form her body now that her being was physically in this world. Though she was created by the souls of the dead, Hiro knew she was her own person. He didn't know how it was possible but her soul was something new, created from the old. Even that didn't make sense to him, but he didn't care. All he cared about was the demon woman, Sesuma, who he found himself falling in love with.

The villagers soon found out about her; the old grave keeper seeing her wandering around one night called out to her to leave at once. Frightened, she had merely vanished into thin air. The grave keeper was haunted by the thought. He knew of Poes there, but she had seemed like a demon or vengeful spirit with her dark wings and enchanting eyes. The village all soon believed she was evil and the place was cursed and everyone was forbidden to go there, least they believed to be ensnared by her mind control.

Hiro ignored all these rumors of course and even the law forbidden anyone from going there. He returned every night and no matter how late, she would always be waiting for him. She enjoyed having him around with her for a little while every night, having no other friends to keep her company since everyone believed her to be cursed.

And every night, as he left her side, she embraced him; her kisses were kind and warm and kept him wanting more. Then she would vanish into the shadows and he return to his home. His only proof it had ever really happened was the shimmering crystal pendant on a gold chain she left with him; it was a symbol of their promise to be together for eternity.

Soon though, the villagers found out about his nightly visits and believed him to be under and evil enchantment. They made a plan to stop her evil and free the poor, unsuspecting boy from her dark clutches.

The local girl whom cared for cuccos in the village had a great allergy to them meaning when they ran off, someone would have to help her get them back again. This was how the plan would work.

One night, before Hiro made his way to see Sesuma, the girl, as instructed, opened the pen and released all the cuccos. As Hiro passed by, she called to him for help. Not wanting to be rude or seem suspicious –since as far as he knew, no one knew of him visiting Sesuma- he agreed to help, knowing Sesuma would wait for him for a few minutes longer.

The cuccos proved harder to find than expected though and during that time that he was out chasing them, the villagers snuck by to the cemetery. Sesuma, of course, stood there waiting for Hiro to meet her as always and the many villagers armed with torches and blades came as a great surprise to her.

By the time Hiro had retrieved all the cuccos, hours had passed and he was worried Sesuma might have given up on him. After listening to the girl's many praises and thanks, he hurried towards the cemetery. As he approached though, he was met by a swarm of villagers running away in fear.

"DEMON!" They cried.

"SHE'LL KILL US ALL!" Another screamed as she pushed past Hiro.

Alarm ran over Hiro and he rushed to the graveyard where the frightened villagers had just come from. There, amidst the tombstones, stood Sesuma. Three bodies of local boys, not much older than Hiro, lay at her feet bloodied and torn. A silver blade stained with blood was in the girl's hand. Her eyes were set in steely determination.

"SESUMA! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" Hiro cried in alarm, backing away slowly. Sesuma turned to him in surprise and dropped the blade, which clattered to the cobblestone at her feet.

"Wait, Hiro. You don't understand." She reached out a hand and took a few steps towards him. If he had looked up he would have seen the sadness and desperation in her eyes, but his gaze was fixed on the boys that she had just 'murdered'.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" He screamed and ran from her.

"HIRO! WAIT!" She called after him, but he ignored her. She was bound to that area and could not follow him, he knew that. He ran from there, from her. He ran from the woman he loved and never looked back.

He left that village, vowing to never return again to where that demon once dwelled. She's never been seen since that night though, but he didn't want to remember. He didn't want to remember being deceived by her adoring smile and kind words.

If only he had known the truth; she had not lured them there but they had gone there to kill her. To murder the woman he had loved. But he never knew. He only knew what his eyes showed him: a demon woman created by the souls of the dead standing over the people she had slaughtered heartlessly. He believed he'd been deceived, but in reality he was deceiving himself.

If he had known the truth, he would have gone to her instead. He would have held her in his arms again and spoke consoling words to her. Instead he banished her back into shadow and she has never returned since. Perhaps his words were damnation to her. Without her only friend, she had nothing worthwhile in this world and returned to the spirits.

We will never know what happened to Sesuma, the demon girl. No, she was no demon. She was just a lonely, misunderstood girl seeking friendship and love. She deserved it for how she was shunned, but she was denied that right and now she's gone.

The villagers would seem to be the ones to blame, but really they aren't. They only did what they thought was best. And it is neither Sesuma's fault. She was only living, as she deserved to do. It is her right, like everyone else, to live how she wants. No, it is that foolish boy who is at blame here. Had he only paid heed to what he tried to say, he would still with together with the woman she loved to this very day.

That is the story of Sesuma, the girl born from the souls of the dead.


	3. Ending

His story finished, The Traveler became silent. Malon was in awe. "That really happened?" She asked in wonder and The Traveler merely nodded. Malon looked sad for a moment before speaking, "such a sad story. That poor woman." She said with pity in her voice.

The Traveler nodded again. "I agree. It is unfortunate. She was shunned simply for being alive." He asked with a hint of regret in his voice.

Malon's gaze became curious again. "Do you go around telling many people this story?" She asked, wanting to know more about the mysterious Traveler.

"Aye. That I do. I tell all I meet about Sesuma's story and the foolishness of the man who loved her," he paused a moment thoughtfully, then added with sadness in his voice, "in hopes that no one will ever turn out like Sesuma did." He finished.

Malon nodded with a smile. "A very noble cause." She assured him. He thanked her but his words were only spoken half-heartedly; there was a distant sorrow in the way the spoke about the demon girl.

Above, thunder boomed off in the distance as storm clouds began rolling in and a strong wind began to pick up. It promised a long and treacherous storm to soon be upon the small ranch's inhabitants.

Malon had noticed this and while The Traveler had told his tale, she had returned the horses to the stable and tended to them; as he spoke, she had brushed they long manes and tails and fed them. She had even tended to the cows that had become scared of the coming storm.

Now Malon and The Traveler stood just outside her house, her father waiting just inside tending to the chickens. A heavy rain began to fall, chilling Malon to the bones, and both she and The Traveler looked up to the rapidly darkening sky. It looked like a terrible storm indeed, even worse than she had first suspected earlier on that day. She didn't know of anyone living that would want to ever be caught up in a storm like this.

"Looks bad." The Traveler remarked, speaking both their thoughts. "No one would want to stay out in this." He added with a slight chuckle to himself.

"Certainly not." Malon agreed. The Traveler looked at her, noticing the concern that had crept into her voice. "You should come inside and wait out this storm. I'll have some nice hot food ready quickly if you'd like." She suggested.

But The Traveler shook his head and politely declined her offer. "No thank you. I really must be on my way now." He nodded to her and turned on his heels to leave.

"But with such a terrible storm brewing?" She exclaimed in surprise. "No one in their right mind would want to walk anywhere in this weather." She thought he must be clearly out of his mind.

The Traveler simply laughed and turned to look at her again. "I appreciate your concern, but I will not be out long. I have someone expecting me and I shouldn't delay my meeting with them any longer I'm afraid." He explained then added with a courteous bow, "I thank you for your time to listen to my tale. It means more to me than you realize." With that, The Traveler turned and left.

"I shall return someday with another tale for you, my dear Malon." He called over his shoulder to her kindly with a nod. He was almost out of sight now through the curtain of heavy rain and she could barely make out his figure in the distance.

"Wait! Sir, tell me your name!" She called after him. Though it was not possible he could have heard her through that downpour and he did not answer her, a voice whispered to her on the wind. _Hiro._


End file.
